Introduction

Have you ever stopped and pondered why God would save you?  or How He could use you to do something?  Do you ever get a desire to do something for Him and then you remember who you are and all of the things that you need to straighten up before He would use you?  Have you ever said to yourself, “I’ll serve the Lord when I….”?  Though it is true that there are some things in life that we must correct before we can serve in higher capacities, many a saint of God has let opportunity after opportunity pass with the excuse of their own insufficiency.  The story of David’s soldiers ought to encourage you to serve now. 

1. The Struggles of David’s Soldiers (1 Samuel 22:2And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
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1. Distressed
2. Debt
3. Discontented 
2. The Strengths of David’s Soldiers 
1. Unity – “gathered themselves unto him” (1 Samuel 22:2And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
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2. Obedience to the Command of the Captain
1. Go to Keilah (1 Samuel 23:1-5 [1] Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. [2] Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. [3] And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? [4] Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. [5] So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
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2. Let Saul live (1 Samuel 24:7So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
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3. Recruiters
1. About 400 (1 Samuel 22:2And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
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2. About 600 (1 Samuel 23:13Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
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4. Faithfulness – you don’t read of any leaving except by death
5. Those who stayed by the stuff (1 Samuel 25:13And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff.
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1. To faint to fight anymore (1 Samuel 30:10But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.
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2. Saluted by David (1 Samuel 30:21And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.
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3. The Success of David’s Soldiers 
1.  In Battle
1. The Philistines (1 Samuel 23:1-5 [1] Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. [2] Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. [3] And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? [4] Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. [5] So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
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2. King Saul
1. 1 Samuel 24:1-7 [1] And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. [2] Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. [3] And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. [4] And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily. [5] And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. [6] And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD's anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD. [7] So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave, and went on his way.
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2. 1 Samuel 26:1-10 [1] And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon? [2] Then Saul arose, and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. [3] And Saul pitched in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the way. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. [4] David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul was come in very deed. [5] And David arose, and came to the place where Saul had pitched: and David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host: and Saul lay in the trench, and the people pitched round about him. [6] Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother to Joab, saying, Who will go down with me to Saul to the camp? And Abishai said, I will go down with thee. [7] So David and Abishai came to the people by night: and, behold, Saul lay sleeping within the trench, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster: but Abner and the people lay round about him. [8] Then said Abishai to David, God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day: now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time. [9] And David said to Abishai, Destroy him not: for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD's anointed, and be guiltless? [10] David said furthermore, As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall descend into battle, and perish.
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3. The Amalekites (1 Samuel 30:1-5 [1] And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; [2] And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. [3] So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. [4] Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. [5] And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.
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2. In Character
1. They were fighting the “battles of the Lord” (1 Samuel 25:28I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.
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2. They had taken on the heart of their captain (2 Samuel 1:11-12 [11] Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him: [12] And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword.
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Conclusion

When a man goes fishing he looks for keepers.  He may say, “oh well that one is too small” or there may be some other problem and he will throw it back.  Our Lord is not so for when He goes fishing He sees the problem but says I’ll keep it anyway.  Christ did not save you to exclude you from serving Him.  I know you’ve got problems, you know you’ve got problems and He knows you’ve got problems.  Serve Him anyway.  The battles that you go through and the time spent close to the captain will transform you into an incredible soldier.  What are you waiting for?  Serve Him.